"Food costs only account for 18% of the menu."Restaurant Foods That Are Ripping You Off -- If you thought you bagged a bargain by skipping the $29 burgundy-braised short ribs and opting for the $18 baked ziti with mushrooms, marinara sauce and chicken, you'd be wrong. With food costs only accounting for about 18% of the menu price, the pasta dish is where the restaurant is making the most profit. Believe it or not, the beef is actually the better deal, since it costs nearly half the menu price to source and prepare it.

DEAL.WTO diplomat: 42 nations nearing deal on state contracting to unlock billions in commerce -- An international deal is nearing agreement that would open up government contracting to more transparency and foreign competition and unlock tens of billions of dollars in new opportunities, a World Trade Organization diplomat said Tuesday. Nicholas Niggli, a Swiss diplomat to the WTO who chairs its government procurement committee, said 42 nations, including the United States, the European Union, Canada and Japan, are overcoming most hurdles toward an agreement in mid-December when trade ministers gather in Geneva.

Cost savings?Saudis to pay for unfinished meals -- A Saudi restaurant in Damam city, the capital of the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia, has started charging costumers who do not finish their meals. The restaurant, named Marmar, hopes to encourage people to order only the food they need.